Of the 15.4-million school-going children in South Africa, almost two-thirds of them have to walk to school every day, according Statistics South Africa’s 2023 General Household Survey.

In rural areas, schools are often located very far from learners’ homes and public transport is not always accessible.

In their Basic Education Rights Handbook, Section27 says: ‘Private transport, such as taxis, may be unavailable, unsafe or too expensive to use. In these cases, learners have no choice but to walk in order to receive an education.’

Often these learners have to navigate difficult terrain, which leaves them vulnerable to harsh weather conditions and violence.

The second-most used mode of transport is vehicles hired by groups of parents (13%).

Just 9.3% of children travel to school in private vehicles. The rate for this mode of transport is highest in the Western Cape (23.4%) and Gauteng (16.6%), and is lowest in Limpopo (3.3%).